BY: JOSEPH DEBELL, OPINION EDITOR
Photo courtesy @wojespn on Instagram
Adrian Wojnarowski’s decision to leave a $7.3 million-a-year job at ESPN to become the general manager of St. Bonaventure’s men’s basketball team should serve as a reminder that loyalty can — and must — matter more than wealth and fame.
At a time when NIL deals drive college basketball, Wojnarowski’s gamble to give up his profitable career and pour himself into a program trying to compete is rare.
This isn’t just about Wojnarowski taking a 99% pay cut. This is about him betting on something bigger than money.
St. Bonaventure isn’t exactly a basketball program with endless resources. It’s a small school with a basketball team that wealthier Atlantic 10 programs — such as Dayton — have often overshadowed. And because of NCAA’s NIL policy, recruitment has turned into an arms race. This leaves smaller schools, such as Bonaventure in the dust.
In his first year, Wojnarowksi has proved he can leverage his connections and decades of experience to try and level the playing field. It’s one thing to be a generous donor — Wojnarowski has given up to $200,000 a year to the program — but it’s another thing to entirely walk away from ESPN and place your faith in the future of St. Bonaventure basketball.
Wojnarowski’s career pivot is a call to action. It proves loyalty can still exist — even during NIL and constant commercialization. He’s not doing this for the money — he believes that St. Bonaventure basketball represents the university and its community. As he mentioned in a New York Times article, he understands that Bonaventure’s identity is at risk without a competitive team.
‘“Without Bonaventure being competitive in the Atlantic 10, I think most people would agree, it puts the entire institution at some level of peril… It’s that vital to the landscape of the school.”’
Let’s not ignore the sacrifice Wojnarowski has made. He is stepping away from unparalleled influence as an NBA insider. His “Woj Bombs” shaped how many consumed NBA news. By leaving that world, he is relinquishing more than just a paycheck — he’s turning down a level of prestige that most journalists can only dream of.
But by doing so, he makes a powerful statement — he values loyalty to the program that helped shape his story more than the glitter of fame.
St. Bonaventure may never have the resources to compete with a Duke or UConn of college basketball. Still, with Wojnarowski at the helm, it’s something more valuable — a leader willing to put everything on the line to preserve its future. That’s the loyalty we should celebrate — and the leadership we desperately need in today’s sports culture.
debelljb22@bonaventure.edu
